Serum B12 high but may be in trouble.

[Xeniav]

I was diagnosed with PA and stable on B12 IM for 20 years. In USA it became hard to get the shots so I went on a trial using sublingual B12. My doctor thinks it's going great because my serum level B 12 is now sky high. I am however having tinnitus and severe leg pain with muscle cramps in both legs and my hands drawing. Could this mean I need back on injections?

[Nackapan]

Sounds as though you should go back to what was working for you.

[Xeniav]

I agree, now to tell my doctor.

[MoKayD]

Why did it become hard to get your B12 shots? Did your doctor refuse to give them to you?

[Xeniav in reply to MoKayD]

Not at all, just good old American corruption. You see there were only two factors in the US that were manufacturing The little glass valves you need. One of the two factories, was shut down because they're a little glass shards inside the products. Rather than simply retool, they left it shut down. This is also about the time that B12 became a fat diet in the US. Suddenly dirt cheat B12 was valuable. So they started only selling it in the 1 mL vials and charging a fortune for them. Drug stores just could not get the product.

[ByGrace]

A high B12 lab means nothing if your body can not use it. You have to be off all B12 for 4 months to get an "accurate" lab reading. But that is still not going to be an accurate reading if your body can not utilize the B12 in your body. Injections are needed for repair and as they worked for you and now you have symptoms on oral form... you are sustaining neuro damage. There are ways to get your B12 and do it yourself. I inject every other day hydroxocobalamin IM into my thighs and take 5,000 mg biotech folic acid daily with Thorne Basic B vitamin [low B6] 4 months on and two months off, this Basic B vitamin which you can order from iherb, Biotech on Amazon.. B12 I order from Vancouver but you can order from Toronto in Canada... I can find out USA sources if you need, let me know. A blood test for homocysteine and MMA Methylmalonic acid if shown to be high supports B12 deficiency in light of "good" blood lab markers. Serum B12 would be high for anyone taking in B12.... but it means nothing as you know you have symptoms.

[Xeniav in reply to ByGrace]

I called my drug store and it seems that B12 is available again. I am going to ask my doctor for a script. I think he will be fine with it. I gave myself shots for 20 years but I will check into the supplement. Thank you.

[ByGrace in reply to Xeniav]

In some places a prescription is required, in others it is not.

[Xeniav]

It's required here but, oddly enough I did buy it on line for a couple of years but I did not trust the source. They were using clear glass vials!

[Xeniav]

Back on injections now. My doctor was great but I had to fight with the pharmacist who insisted I take single dose vials instead of the 10 ml vials the doctor prescribed "for my insurance". The 10 ml vials actually cost half what 10 1ml vials would cost with insurance. So there you go.